The Compton Effect
by SilentVampireUnit
Summary: She'd finally gotten to a place where his name or collective presence didn't give her that feeling. That charge.
1. Chapter 1

A/N. This is my first OFFICIAL fic. I winged a little and its kinda all over the place so, be kind. But, don't worry, the fic is gonna get much better as it goes on, so hang for as long as you can. lol

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><p>"In quantum physics, The Compton Effect involves a high-energy photon colliding with a target. This causes an energy release that defies all the commonly-held beliefs about what should happen."<p>

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><p>Why now?<p>

She'd finally gotten to a place where his name or collective presence didn't give her that feeling. That charge. Months of nightmares, misused men and all around anxiety, culminated and collapsed in on itself - collapsed into _her_. It weighed her down so hard, it lingered there and became a convenient numbness. Numbness was something she could handle. Numbness was simple.

But, now she can feel it again, with every step she takes. That charge. It slowly creeps up her spine as she walks through that terminal. Up her spine, through her ribcage and directly to her heart, giving it a small twinge of life, making it thump, harder...faster. She hates it. This is not who she is. The overexcited school girl, meeting up with the handsome jock.

_Handsome..._

She wanted to strike the word from her Elliot lexicon-any positive word that reminded her of those feelings she used to have.

_Smart...brave...dedicated...charming...handsome..._

There wasn't any use for these words. Because, he left her. Without a goodbye, a letter or even a phone call for nearly a year, that is, until, he left her a message on her machine, saying, he had settled down in Florida and wanted to "reconnect". The tone of his voice was so overconfident and smug, he was so sure she would jump at the chance to see him, again. What bothered her most was, that he was right. Like a simp, she gave in to his lure... but, to be fair, appealing to the detective side of her - the part that was desperate for answers - and using her need for vacation time, against her, was very clever...bastard. She wishes she could just turn and run in the other direction, but she couldn't. It was too late. Here she was, walking through the airport, lugging her suitcase - preparing to either, slap the smug off his face or give him a big, suffocating hug, she didn't know which. Frankly, either action would've come from the same place.

Finally reaching the arrival area, she scans it, trying to find that handsome, smug face.

_Damn...that word, again._

Instead, she spots a man holding a sign, with her name on it, in black marker. He held it up, right in the middle of his chest, eagerly, almost like a schoolboy. Standing to about her height, maybe an inch taller, short, dark hair, glasses, blue, saucer-sized eyes...he was middle-aged, but he had an innocence about his face. You could tell, when he smiled - if he smiled, his face would light up like a child's on Christmas morning. He wore a wornout, leather Member's Only jacket with a white button-up and Khaki pants.

_Something's wrong. _The panic wasn't visible on her face, but on the inside, her sirens went off. She slowed her pace as she walked and immediately went into cop mode. Who was this guy? Where's Elliot? Why was he careless as to leave her alone with a man she didn't know?

_No. get it together, Olivia. You know Elliot . You know he wouldn't leave you with someone dangerous - someone he didn't trust. Even if he did, what are you worrying about? You can handle yourself, you're a cop, you don't NEED Elliot to be here to hold your hand! Breathe...just breathe..._

She quickly gathered herself and picked up the pace. Cop mode wasn't off, but it was dormant, for the time being. A part of her wanted him to spot her, first. Just to lessen the impending awkwardness she was going to experience. After all, just a moment ago, she thought she was dealing with Hannibal Lecter. Paranoia. One of the MANY perks of working in the Special Victims Unit.

_Wonderful..._

"Are you...Olivia Benson?"

"Yes...and you are...?" Friendly. Suspicious. Stern. Her voice had a multitude of emotions behind it, yet you'd never know. It was vital in her line of work, the way she spoke was musical and she'd use every note to hit a nerve in a perp's brain to break him.

"Oh, my manners. I'm James Lawrence, i'm an associate of your...uh...Elliot."

It was no surprise to her that he was completely clueless about her and Elliot's relationship or that Elliot didn't bother to even explain it to him. Every person she's ever bonded with, friend or lover, has had that same reaction, to the two of them - complete and utter befuddlement. Even _she_ couldn't make sense of this convoluted, three ring circus and after spending twelve years of her life trying, it only made her exhausted. It was better off not explaining - being jet-lagged, anyway.

"No offense, but why did Elliot send you? I thought he'd be here..."

_...In all his brooding glory._

"Well...he had a prior engagement and i'm the only one, apart from Elliot, who still has their driver's license."

Both of them chuckled at his lame attempt to lighten the mood, soothing Olivia's nerves a bit. God knows, any humor was better than none at all, at a time like this.

"So...how long have you been working with him?" She ran a hand through her hair, in a slick attempt to avoid eye contact with the wide-eyed man. This became an ongoing practice of hers, as of late - a part of her extensive, Elliot rehab...

_Someone mentions him, don't look them in the eye. They're gonna see the feeling in your eyes. They'll take it for themselves, just to judge you. To say how weak and pathetic you are. Look away._

"Ever since he arrived, here - well, plummeted here, you might say. He's a bit of a force of nature, sometimes. I'm sure you understand."

"Yeah..." She says it, smiling weakly - sighing. Trying to fight back the sudden wave of sentimental, nostalgia of the times they fought. To the outside, looking in, it would seem kind of...strange...reveling in painful, past fights, but back then... somehow...it made her feel...worthwhile. Worth fighting for.

_Pathetic..._

"Well, uh, I guess we better get a move on, then. He can be a bit of a bulldog when it comes to tardiness...uh..." He leaned in, almost cautiously, making Olivia wonder if cop mode needed to be reactivated, again.

"I don't want to speak out of turn, because I know nothing of your relationship, but when he first got here he...was a bit of an asshole." The caution he used with his words was almost comical. Like he was a Russian spy, giving her America's nuclear codes.

Olivia gave a warm, knowing smirk, suddenly feeling the awkwardness subside. "Don't worry. Elliot being an asshole, was the main focus of our relationship."

"I suspected as much."

James offered to carry her suitcase before making their way to his car. She couldn't even remember the last time someone with a Y chromosome offered to carry _anything _for her.

_I like him, already..._

There was something about James that put her at ease, he seemed like an intelligent, gentle person with the same level of tolerance for her former partner she had. Small in amount.

Driving to Elliot's, they made small talk about his life before coming to Florida, but barely anything after the fact. Any details he gave, were vague and nondescript. Almost as if James was avoiding giving her specific details about Elliot's current life. Her curiosity slowly became silent aggravation - what could be so important that it needed to be kept from her? But, this could've been her infamous paranoia, at work. She wasn't sure.

_Wonderful..._

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><p><em>THUMP.<em>

"Shit!" Olivia was startled awake by, what she swore was the car hitting a boulder.

"Sorry, Ms. Benson, there's a gargantuan pothole between Elliot's driveway and the street."

_Elliot's driveway? We're here, already? Fuck..._

Looking out the passenger window, she realized she must've been asleep for a long while after her conversation with James. The sun had just started to set when they left the airport now, it was dark - not pitch black, but a dark blue.

They slowly made the left turn into his driveway, then, suddenly...there it was again...the charge...making its way up her spine, through her ribcage and...

_THUMP...THUMP..._

_His house...the lights are on...he's home..._

_THUMP...THUMP...THUMP..._

James exited the car to get the suitcase from the trunk, while Olivia just sat in silence...staring at the front door, from the passenger seat.

_THUMP...THUMP...THUMP..._

Her breaths got short and shaky. She eased back into the head rest, closing her eyes in hopes of gathering herself - to shut out that nagging sound of a heartbeat.

_Maybe, if I close my eyes long enough, i'll drift off and wake up when everything was normal..."normal" Yes...lusting after a married man - pining after him, pathetically penetrating myself every night with that cold, inanimate cock, pretending it was him. Normal..._

Her thoughts gave no comfort, no mercy, no silence. Instead, she kept hearing that noise...it grew louder and louder - faster and faster, until, she swore she could hear it on the outside of her body. Like, her chest finally gave out, letting that electricity burst through her chest like a bolt of lightning - blowing her heart onto the dashboard.

_THUMP_

Olivia opened her eyes, briefly, just to see if James, her kindred spirit, was outside the car - getting annoyed by her cowardly hide and go seek from the inevitable. Instead, she saw that the _thump_ in her chest was really a _thump_ at the passenger window. She knew who it was before she even rolled down the window.

The man kneeled down to the opened window, slowly - as if to prepare her, or maybe himself. Finally aligning his face with hers, he said the only word appropriate for the moment.

"Hello."

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><p>What'll happen next? Will Elliot open the door for her, like a gentleman or will Olivia punch him in the peen? Find out, next week! Same bat time, same bat channel!...yeah and leave a review if you want. lol :)<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

A/N. Ok, if this chapter isn't that good, it's because, I haven't gotten to the real, nitty-gritty, E/O stuff, yet. So, stay with me, it WILL be better, the next chapter. :D

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><p>"So, love, you gonna stare at me, or you gonna say something?"<p>

That sexy grin...

That sexy, insufferable...punchable grin...

_This isn't fair._

In the past, looking at that face gave her so much to look forward to - gave her a sense of peace in a chaotic world, but now...at the moment...she felt like dismantling the Eiffel Tower, burning down the Taj Mahal, defacing the Mona Lisa - just to destroy anything beautiful. Pure hatred. Unfortunately, this feeling was accompanied by yearning. More than she was used to. It was like her hate was the virus and the yearning was the cure - trying to fight the virus with all it's might. She found it troublesome - feeling these two emotions at once. The conflict fighting the harmony. It wasn't fair. He's absolutely ebullient, relaxed - tan and content, while she...wasn't.

_Fucking bastard..._

"I figured if I stare at your head long enough, I might burn a hole through it..." Her playful tone masked her contempt, but Elliot could see right through her...

"Well..."

Elliot started to crouch down, resting his chin on top of his bulging, left arm that laid on the inside of the passenger window. He moved slowly. Almost seductively. His eyes proceeded to get wider, like an eager yet, apologetic child, making his irises of light blue, cut through the dark blue of night. Elliot looked her dead in the eyes - earnest yet, confident. Making her all too susceptible him.

"How long do I have to stare at you, until you smile at me?"

A beaming smile crept up Elliot's lips.

_I can't move..._

His face...

It shatters her into tiny bits of insignificance. This used to be a regular occurrence, but now...the time and distance that's been wedged between them, enhanced this feeling - making her realize how much she's missed the warmth of his presence and the pulverizing effect it had on her. Amazing that a smile that big can make her feel so small.

The stare down seemed like it was lasting forever - they were steadily getting lost in each other...or maybe she was the one who was lost. The snake and the snake charmer - manipulation at it's finest, making her feel like she has no control just so he can take it for himself.

Just when she thought the hypnotizing silence wouldn't end, before it got anymore daunting...she slowly slipped into laughter...

He laughed in return...

_Shit..._

"Look at that, not only do I get you to smile, you laugh, too? I haven't lost my touch."

"Don't get cocky, it was just a physical response." Olivia said, as she tried to ease herself out of her laughing fit.

Elliot watched her with a fascination.

Her smile, the way she scrunched her nose, the movement of her chest as she laughed - it weakened his knees and tightened his muscles - along with the one that gave him the most grief whenever he was in the midst of a beautiful woman.

Elliot proceeded to help Olivia out of the car - shaking off the sensation that was close to making his feeble-laden limbs, utterly useless. He reached his hand through the window to unlock the door - lightly grazing the back of his hand against her knee in the process. She flinched her knee away as if a live wire was set off, right next to her.

She prayed he didn't notice, but it wasn't like her reaction was on the subtle side.

"Static electricity, love?" He said, as he opened the car door, armed with his cocky grin.

She slowly exited the car and walked towards Elliot, giving him a knowing look.

_Knowing_ of his ability to twist and annoy her.

The passenger side door was between them, but they were still so close. So much so, she could feel the warmth that radiated from his body - making her burn from the inside. The burn grew legs and became unrelenting - traveling down her chest, though her belly and made its home between her legs.

Her annoyed sigh disguised her arousal, but it wouldn't keep it at bay, for long.

_Hide it...he'll sniff it out - hunt it, like a ravenous wolf, if you don't._

"Are you gonna be like this, the whole time?" Olivia questioned.

She was expecting reprisal, which is what he always did in this situation - when she questioned his state of mind or personality changes, but all he did was grin.

That sexy grin...

That sexy, insufferable...punchable grin...

_This isn't fair._

The silence swallowed them whole. She expected a nasty comeback, a scowl, a grunt - anything. Waiting for it just made her even more annoyed, so she decided to launch her own preemptive strike.

"Why don't you go fu-"

"Have you eaten?" He cut her off at the pass, eying her body, up and down.

The way he looked at her- she figured he viewed it as concern, but she viewed it as a farmer, inspecting his prized pig before sending it to the slaughter.

"Just...peanuts and bottled water," Her tone of voice expressed defeat. It could've been the realization that she was hungrier than she thought or that she was loosing this passive-aggressive game of Snark Tag. Didn't matter. Both were equally as tiring.

"Oh, tsk, tsk, tsk..." He gently placed his hand on her right arm, moving her out of the way of the car door - closing it.

"Come inside. I'll get you fed and we can...catch up."

"Sure."

Olivia walked alongside her temporary keeper, up to his more than modest, one-story Florida home. The feel of his grip still held a presence on her arm. Almost like he was still gripping it. There was always something about the way he touched her - his force and the impact it would leave on her. She immediately thought back to what James said...

_'He's a bit of a force of nature, sometimes.'_

_Sometimes...?_

Elliot, proudly, opened the cracked door to his humble abode, gentlemanly holding the door open for Olivia. All this politeness she was witnessing, caught her off guard. No one had called her a bitch, yelled in her face or hit her, since she got off the plane. It's not like she wasn't used to basic common courtesy - she was...only in small amounts, by men she dated. Previous events, what happened between them - or, what didn't happen, that made these gestures seem all too surreal. She felt a troubling calm, swirl through her brain.

_Strange..._

"That's new..." She said, as she walked over the threshold - crossing her arms over her chest.

_Keep your tone confident..._

"What? I opened the door for you, plenty of times." He coolly stated, as he leaned against the closed front door - crossing his arms in response to hers.

She couldn't help but look at him in disbelief - scoffing at his ignorance and confident disposition, bandaging her annoyance with a friendly tone, like she did in the past.

_He really thinks highly of himself, doesn't he...?_

"Only when I carried something...apart from that, courtesy wasn't something you gave to a co-worker."

Elliot felt a sharp sting in the back of his head - guilt.

He smoothly made his way towards her, his eyes never leaving hers, earnestly placing his hands in the pockets of his dark, loose-fitting blue jeans. Stopping on a dime - only an inch away from her face, his focus intensified - hypnotizing to say the least.

A majority of his sly demeanor, faded and formed into something that she could only describe as...repentance.

"First of all..."Co-worker" is for suits and mail boys, not you...you were far from that,"

_Maybe, I spoke too soon..._

"Secondly...i'm sorry."

_Ripley's Believe It or Not..._

An apology from Elliot Stabler was rare - flying pig, rare. Whenever he gave this seldom gift, she had to force it out of him with silent treatments and searing, death-glares. A stubborn son of a bitch, he was. Now, he stood in front of her - earnest, invading her space, breathing the air that surrounded her - it made her dizzy. If she wasn't so strong-willed, she'd faint from shock.

Standing there, clearing her throat of prepared insults and surprise, Olivia found it was only fair to wave the white flag, this round...

"Thanks."

"You don't have to. It was long overdue, love."

They spent a moment taking each other in - enjoying the thick cloak of silence, but the sudden shouting from the living room, sliced right through it. Both of them made their way around the corner of the entryway, only to find James watching television - literally, at edge of his seat, like an excited schoolboy. Elliot seemed amused by the sight - crossing his arms behind his back, looking over at Olivia with a smirk.

"James, buddy, what are you doing?"

The eager man in the glasses was struck out of his haze, rising up off the couch like a shot - looking as if he was a liitle boy, caught wearing his father's work shoes. "Oh! I'm sorry, Elliot, the annual Brain Bowl was on and I forgot to set my DVR-"

"Don't worry about it, just get home to water your fecus plant," said, the blue-eyed hulk, chuckling as he sauntered over to the gittery man fiddling with the remote.

"Actually, it's a _ficus_ plant and you're probably right, seems you would want to be alone, anyway-"

Elliot brought his index finger up to halt James to silence, trying to stave off a swarm of embarrassment as Olivia looked on, smiling - taking pleasure in his obvious discomfort.

_Proof that a stone man can squirm..._

"Why don't you get goin', J, don't wanna hit any traffic," Elliot suggested, with his arm wrapped around his friend, leading him out the front door.

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><p>Watching through the window as James drove away, Olivia came to a startling realization...<p>

_I'm on my own, now..._

She was alone, in an intimate setting...with Elliot Stabler. A man she had a long, turbulent history with - someone she would sooner, run away from than live with.

Showering, sleeping - all the personal things that provded her a kind of relaxation after long, arduous days of working in the unit, would be taking place within this, few thousand-square, confined space. Just the thought of it, sucked the air out of the room like fire devouring oxygen - slowly suffocating her, until her lungs felt like two paper bags.

_He's behind me..._

His reflection was right next to hers, yet he stood so far away. The man that she knew so well, was now a question mark - more like a puzzle. Drawn in by want of gratification and driven away by intricacy.

It will be a battle - this she was sure of.

Hatred versus yearning.

_Show no fear..."_

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><p><em>Like it? Well, review it! You got fingers, don'tcha? LOL :D <em>


	3. Chapter 3

A/N. I know. This is a really short chapter. Don't worry, the next one WILL be much longer, I promise. Don't be mad at me. lol

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><p>The sunlight woke her.<p>

She loves it - the way it warms her skin, the sheets, the blankets. Florida heat permeated through the room like a series of gentle touches.

Her body is a bit sticky, but it's a small price to pay for the climate she's already fallen in love with. Waking up in her apartment always felt cold - dry air, curtains drawn. Not an inch of daylight could seep through to comfort her.

_I may never want to leave. Though, my tune might change when I get up. If I get up._

She inhales the light fragrance of crisp linen and stretches her arms over her head, yawning deeply. She pulls the covers up around her shoulders, pausing for a bit - taking in more of the nourishing sunlight before rolling over to a pair of astonishingly blue eyes fixed on her- startling her to a level of alertness she's only ever known after at least two cups of coffee.

_A cat? Elliot Stabler - a cat person?_

The precocious feline began to purr, nuzzling up to her chin, catching her scent as if he was getting to know her. After getting his introductions out of the way, he rolled over onto his back, resting there - giving her a sign, almost.

"Pet him." A deep voice and broad figure appeared in the doorway of her room.

Olivia rose up - shot up, actually. Elliot just stood there. Forearms resting against the doorway, shirtless. He'd gotten bigger over the past year. His abs were more defined and so was his waist. It was a bit more slender and even from the front, you could tell it accentuated his... Her eyes made their way down. Lower. Over to his snug, black briefs...

_No! This is too much stimulation for a Saturday morning._

Quickly looking away, she could still catch that cocky smile in the corner of her eye.

He noticed.

"He's showing off for you," Elliot nods, toward the frisky cat. "He wants you to pet him." He said, with a smile that was as broad as his chest.

Olivia looks back at Elliot, avoiding eye contact, sheepishly rubbing her thighs together- ignoring the sudden surge of wetness that's pooled between her legs.

"I know what he wants." She says, coyly - her voice, low. She leans over to him, perching herself onto her elbows, rubbing his soft belly.

Olivia never thought herself to start cooing over a house pet, but he was too adorable to pass up.

And, those eyes. So similar to a certain someone.

Olivia was so caught up in playing with the jovial ball of fur, she didn't notice that Elliot was no longer in the doorway.

"Elvis!" He, as well as his demand, made its way to the kitchen as little Elvis sprinted off the bed and to his master.

_There are no words to describe how surreal that was._

Settling back onto the bed felt like laying back into her sense of calm. Olivia knew what she was in for if she left this bed. No good can come from Elliot Stabler, in his briefs, cooking breakfast in this heat. With any other man, this would've been simple - a little eye candy and a good meal, she'd be on her own turf and in control. But, no this is the man she shared the darkest parts of herself with and knowing him, he'd use that to his advantage - twist her until she said or did whatever he wanted. Interrogation was his specialty, after all.

_This is going to be hell._

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><p>More to come...Leave a review if you want! :)<p> 


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